This document discusses how various natural disasters impact the environment. It begins by defining different types of natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, tsunamis, volcanoes, blizzards, floods, tornadoes, droughts and heat waves. For each disaster, it summarizes the typical damage caused, such as property destruction, loss of habitat, erosion, contamination of water supplies, and loss of power. Overall, the key environmental impacts of natural disasters discussed are property loss, loss of habitat, and damage to infrastructure.

1. How Natural Disasters Impact the
Environment
2013

2. Can you name some natural
disasters?
•Earthquakes
•Hurricanes
•Lightning
•Fire
•Tsunami
•Tornados
•Volcanoes
•Blizzards
•Floods
•Heat
•Drought

3. What You will Learn:
During this PowerPoint you are going
to learn about 11 natural disasters.
You will see some statistical
information about how each disaster
impacts man.
Afterwards, you will research to learn
how natural disasters affect the
environment.

4. Earthquake
A sudden movement of the
earth's crust caused by the
release of stress collected
along faults or by volcanic
activity

5. Richter Earthquake
Magnitudes Effects
Less than
3.5
Generally not felt, but recorded.
3.5-5.4
Under 6.0
Often felt, but rarely causes damage.
At most slight damage to well-designed buildings.
Can cause major damage to poorly constructed
buildings over small regions.
6.1-6.9
Can be destructive in areas up to about 100
kilometers across where people live.
7.0-7.9
Major earthquake. Can cause serious damage
over larger areas.
8 or
greater
Great earthquake. Can cause serious damage in
areas several hundred kilometers across.

6. Frequency of Occurrence of
Earthquakes
Magnitude
Average Annually
8 and higher
1
7 - 7.9
17
6 - 6.9
134
5 - 5.9
1319
4 - 4.9
13,000
3 - 3.9
130,000
2 - 2.9
1,300,000
(estimated)
(estimated)
(estimated)

7. Hurricane
If winds reach 74 mph, then they are called:
 "hurricane" (the North Atlantic Ocean, the
Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the
South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)
 "typhoon" (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of
the dateline)
 "severe tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Pacific
Ocean west of 160E or Southeast Indian Ocean
east of 90E)
 "severe cyclonic storm" (the North Indian Ocean)
 "tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Indian Ocean)
Hurricane Statistics http://www.mthurricane.com/Information.htm

8. Top 10 Deadliest Hurricanes
(Atlantic)
Rank
Hurricane Name
Year
Category
Deaths
1
Texas (Galveston)
1900
4
8000
2
FL (Lake Okeechobee)
1928
4
1836
3
Hurricane Katrina
2005
3
1500
4
Florida Keys
1919
4
600
5
New England
1938
3
600
6
Florida Keys (Labor Day)
1935
5
408
7
Audrey
1957
4
390
8
NE United States
1944
3
390
9
LA (Grand Isle)
1909
4
350
10
LA (New Orleans)
1915
4
275

9. Lightning
a brilliant electric spark discharge in
the atmosphere, occurring within a
thundercloud, between clouds, or
between a cloud and the ground

10. Fire
a burning mass of
material

11. The Overall Fire
Picture - 2007
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There were 3,430 civilians that lost their lives as the result of
fire.
There were 17,675 civilian injuries that occurred as the
result of fire.
There were 118 firefighters killed while on duty.
Fire killed more Americans than all natural disasters
combined.
84 percent of all civilian fire deaths occurred in residences.
There were an estimated 1.6 million fires in 2007.
Direct property loss due to fires was estimated at $14.6
billion.
An estimated 32,500 intentionally set structure fires resulted
in 295 civilian deaths.
Intentionally set structure fires resulted in an estimated $733
million in property damage.

12. Tsunami
an unusually large sea
wave produced by a
seaquake or undersea
volcanic eruption

13. Volcano
a vent in the earth's crust
through which lava, steam,
ashes, etc., are expelled,
either continuously or at
irregular intervals

14. Blizzard
A violent snowstorm with winds blowing
at a minimum speed of 35 miles per
hour and visibility of less than onequarter mile for three hours
Top Blizzards in US
 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0886098.ht
ml
 http://nsidc.org/snow/blizzard/storms.html

15. Flood
A temporary rise of the water level, as in a
river or lake or along a seacoast, resulting in
its spilling over and out of its natural or
artificial confines onto land that is normally
dry. Floods are usually caused by excessive
runoff from precipitation or snowmelt, or by
coastal storm surges or other tidal
phenomena.
Flood Statistics http://www.floodsafety.com/national/life/statistics.htm

16. Tornado
A violently rotating column of air
extending from a cumulonimbus
cloud to the Earth, ranging in width
from a few meters to more than a
kilometer and whirling at speeds
between 40 and 316 mi per hour.
http://youtu.be/RgFqyj_4lj0

17. Drought
A long period of abnormally low rainfall,
especially one that adversely affects
growing or living conditions.
Statistical Information
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/drought
/drght_alleve.html

18. Drought Facts
The cost of losses due to drought in the
United States averages $6-8 billion every
year, but range as high as $39 billion for the
three year drought of 1987-1989, which was
the most costly natural disaster documented
in U.S. history.
 The two major droughts of the 20th century,
the 1930s Dust Bowl drought and the 1950s
drought, lasted five to seven years and
covered large areas of the continental U.S.


19. Heat Wave
 an
air mass of high temperature
covering an extended area and
moving relatively slowly
 a period of abnormally hot and
unusually humid weather

20. Which disasters are the worst?
In the next two sides you will see
the 10 'Worst' Natural Disasters
as decided by expert David
Crossley, Professor of
Geophysics.

21. 10 'Worst' Natural Disasters
The October 8, 2005 magnitude 7.6
earthquake in Pakistan
 Hurricane Katrina
 Volcanic Eruption - Nevado del Ruiz
(Columbia) in 1985
 1976 earthquake magnitude 8 Tangshan
event in China
 Indonesia Volcanic Eruptions – Tambora
volcano of 1815 & Krakatoa explosion in
1883


22. 10 'Worst' Natural Disasters
New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-12 in
southern Missouri
 1737 Calcutta, India typhoon
 Santorini volcanic explosion around 1500
B.C.
 major global paleoclimate event that
happened around 3000B.C.
 mass extinction during the CretaceousTertiary Stratigraphic Boundary, 65 million
years ago


23. How Earthquakes Impact the
Environment
collapsing buildings
 property damage
 loss of power
 mud slides
 fires
 floods
 tsunamis

so….
•Property loss
•Loss of habitat

25. Roads
Collapse

26. How Hurricanes Impact the
Environment
erosion
 heavy flooding of inland areas
 tornadoes
 houses, buildings, and other structures
destroyed
so….
 loss of power
•Property loss
 contaminated water supply
•Loss of habitat
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http://youtu.be/-Kou0HBpX4Ahttp://youtu.be/-Kou0HBpX4Ahttp://youtu.be/-Kou0HBpX4A

27. Galveston – after Hurricane Ike

30. How Lightning Impacts the
Environment
 fire
houses, buildings, and other
structures destroyed
• loss of habitat
 loss of power
•
so….
•Property loss
•Loss of habitat

31. How Fire Impacts the
Environment
 houses,
buildings, and other
structures destroyed
 loss of habitat
so….
•Property loss
•Loss of habitat

33. How Tsunamis Impact
the Environment
 houses,
buildings, and other
structures destroyed
 loss of power
 fresh water contaminated
so….
 erosion
•Property loss
•Loss of habitat

36. How Volcanic Eruptions Impact the
Environment
 houses,
buildings, and other structures
destroyed
 fires
 toxic gases released into the
atmosphere
 Carbon dioxide emitted from volcanoes
adds to the natural greenhouse effect.
 loss of habitat

37. Before and After

39. How Blizzards Impact the
Environment
 flooding
 trees
when snows melt
fall
so….
 power outages
•Property loss
 hypothermia
•Loss of habitat
 loss of crops/livestock

42. How Flooding Impacts the
Environment
loss of habitat
 houses, buildings, and other structures
destroyed
 power outages
 household wastes get into the water system
 fresh water contamination
 disease


43. Colorado floods of 2013

45. How Tornadoes Impact the
Environment
Tornadoes could hit hazardous or toxic
materials which could then be pollute the
water and environment.
 could transport certain types of small
animals and plants across the land
 destroy topsoil and crops
 destroy buildings and trees
 cause water contamination
 cause fires
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46. Tornado damage in Joplin, MO

48. How Drought Impacts the
Environment
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young trees die
dries up lakes and other water sources
loss of livestock and crops
People use more fuel during droughts.
losses or destruction of fish and wildlife habitat
lack of food and drinking water for wild animals
increase in disease in wild animals, because of reduced food and
water supplies
migration of wild animals, leading to a loss of wildlife in some
(drought-stricken) areas and too many wildlife in areas not
affected by drought
increased stress on endangered species
lower water levels in reservoirs, lakes, and ponds
loss of wetlands
more fires
wind and water erosion of soils, reduced soil quality
Information from http://drought.unl.edu/kids/impacts/affects.htm